The Royal Wessex 30th June 2012

Rather than Three Bridges to Weymouth via Chichester and Havant

UK Steam Info shows : -

THE ROYAL WESSEX

Brighton-Weymouth (WCRC) [wcrc]

34067: Southall-Winchester-Weymouth
70013: Weymouth-Winchester-Southall

 

Times are now available at t0630b.htm
I presume that 34067 will bank out of Weymouth as far as Waeham, but I don't have times for its return back to Weymouth.
Incidentally has 70013 at Swanage been turned yet ?

David at www.uksteam.info

 

Feel sorry for the passengers. With the new timings they will just about have time in Weymouth to walk from the station, look at the sea then return to the station. Less steam mileage also, plus a substantial diesel hauled section.

Notwork Fail strike again? Looks like thats two tours they have managed to screw up on Saturday, are they now going for a hat-trick?

 

I have to say the more often this happens the more you get the feeling there's a hidden agenda. Why are these kind of changes so often made at the 11th hour leaving passengers no choice but to accept something they didn't book ? I do wonder whether such changes are often known about much further in advance than we are told but withheld deliberately so as not to deter people from booking. In the old days some of the routes and timings may have been a bit boring but at least you knew what you were getting. It's hard to think of many other things for which people part with money these days that seem to have so little right of reply / consumer protection when the product changes or isn't delivered as advertised than main line steam excursions. I think we're all very forgiving unfortunately, with many of us happy to defend the indefensible so probably deserve all we get. I've no doubt these tours make a good profit for most of those involved in running them, and probably a bigger one than most of us realise but there's a real danger at present in my view that their complacency about what the market will stand will end up killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Personally I'd like to see more operators follow the Vintage Trains example who seem to operate far more consistently than their rivals, give better value for money, and presumably earn themselves a REASONABLE profit.

 

There is the slight problem that VT don't do child prices on tours other than the SE, so they're £30+ more than RYTC. But i only have to wait till march till i am an RYTC adult, so there won't be a large gap in the prices anymore.

 

There is apparently a (temporary ?) steam ban in place on the line between Fareham and St Denys via Netley, hence the change of route.

Edit: ....due to a gauging issue near Hamble.

David

 

It may be a long way round but you can't fault the timings on the outward.

Tangmere must be booked on the fast line (mains?) from Southall as its booked to cover the first 27 miles in 25 minutes.

Its then got 21 minutes from Reading to Basingstoke which is about 15 or 16 miles and onto Wallers Ash in 11 minutes for another 14 miles.

It may not be the booked route but its definitely quick and should allow Tangmere to show what she's made of.

 

Yes, that all sounds very positive so I hope for the sake of those on board that it works out that way as it might make up for the downsides of the changes highlighted in Oakfield's post. Also, Tangmere needs some good runs under her belt to make up for some of the more memorable ones, (for the wrong reasons), last year.

 

Oh won't bother going out then if steam starts at Southall instead of Brighton. Still at least we should have 60163 on 5th July from Lewes to Oxford.

 

Times for Cromwell's turning move now on UKSteam loco movements on Friday.
Yet another problem with route availability issues and the two locos involved are 2 of the more "go anywhere" Locos
DH

 

Getting back to "The Royal Wessex" itself, I hope 34067 is still going to be available on Saturday given its non appearance on today's Thanet Belle otherwise there could be even more diesel haulage !

 

Or, indeed a Black Five.

 

Indeed, provided it survives today's outing

 

I had a text from my sister who is on the Thanet Belle - "Tangmere is poorly. Needs a part apparently!"

 

This doesn't surprise me. When I watched some videos of the recent Swanage Belle and Titfield Thunderbolt runs I thought she sounded a bit rough anyway. There was a rather large knock coming from her when coasting (although this seems to be a regular sound with 34067). To my Father's ear she always sounds terrible compared to when he used to travel behind Spamcans and rebuilts in the last days of SR steam.

 

Some posts have been moderated pending discussion.

They may appear in a separate thread later.

 

Would imagine that she will leave Southall on the relief line, let the 10.45 Padd--Swansea HST through before switching to the main around Slough ??? Just can't see her coming through Twyford on the relief at 60mph !! it'll take some hard work though if she does need to switch. Reading-Basingstoke only double track so main it is then. Wonder when news will out on Tangmere ????

 

This train is booked main line both ways between Southall and Reading. I guess the 10:45 Padd-Swansea will pass before the railtour gets to Southall West Jc at 10:55 where it joins the down main, but the following HST will be hard on its heels by the time it passes Reading at 11:19. This will need some very smart running !

David

 

I forgot to mention that Tangmere (assuming it is fit) is now booked to work engine+POB direct from Weymouth to Bristol n the evening, tender first all the way, ready for the Weymouth Seaside Express on Sunday.

David

 

These last minute changes do concern me. I understood that NR had a committment to provide TOCs with confirmation of access no less that 12 weeks in advance. Steam tours are opertaed by TOCs on behalf of the tour operators so they should be treated the same way as any TOC. I guess that if someone claimed their money back and had to go through the courts all of the issues would have to be disclosed to the claimant by the operator.